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About Gail

I am an avid movie watcher, and learning to be a good reader. I currently work in Technical Services, in the back of the Library. On my off time I enjoy cooking, shopping, and working with my hands building things from scratch. Need a movie night recommendation, I'm your girl!

Book- This is the third book in the Montana Rescue series by Susan May Warren. In my own literary journey, I have come to know her as a definite Christian fiction writer. I am not a personal fan of religious views being thrown at me, but I feel she does an amazing job getting into the nitty gritty of the story with just a touch of Christianity spliced into a few scenes. I highly adore this series, and once I get my paws on one of these books, I can usually read them within a week! Impressive I think for someone who used to HATE to read as a kid.

This story revolves around Gage and Ella. Gage is a worldclass champion free rider in snowboarding. Ella is a lawyer turned senator. Gage has always had a thing for the limelight. He shines in every aspect of his life. Unfortunately he is blamed for the death of a young man who wanted to be taken on an epic snowboarding run through the back wood country. Ella happens to be a junior attorney at the time and is assigned to his case. This lawsuit has all but destroyed Gage. He now works for PEAK rescue team and also works at the local mountain lodge as a ski patrol. Ella has come back to this fateful mountain to chase down her brother that insists on following in the footsteps of his hero Gage on an epic run down the mountain. Ella and Gage team up reluctantly and set off to rescue her brother. There are many obstacles physically and emotionally for these two as they relearn to work together and gain each others trust again.

The scenery is set up amazingly in this book. As you read you will feel the icy wind blow down your neck, the salty taste of your lips coated in tears. I highly recommend this one for someone who is looking to “check out” of reality for a little.

Book- According to Belly, summer is the only time of the year that counts. Every summer she goes to Cousins Beach leaving her school life alone. She starts out as a young and annoying little sister to Stephen. At the beach house they are also with her moms best friend for life and her two boys Conrad and Jeremiah. She was left out of all the cool things, like camping on the beach, going to a party down the beach, going to the pier with the boys. She was always feeling left out.

She is absolutely in love with and chasing after Conrad. He does little things to show her he notices her and cares for her, but then he follows that up with being distant and harsh with her. Finally this summer, she thinks its the summer to change everything. She is allowed to go to the party down the beach and meets a new guy named Cam. He is a little different, but she likes different. She is not sure how much she can like him, as her heart always belongs to Conrad. Then there is Jeremiah, her best friend at the beach, who occasionally shares a secret lust look with her.

I enjoyed this book. This is the first in a trilogy (all of which I have read), and I think Jenny Han sets up the background story well. I did get a little annoyed with Belly, the main character, as she is a little over dramatic at times. I suppose that’s why this is considered a young adult romance novel. It was a nice easy read where the plot line isn’t far-fetched or complicated. It reminded me of the way I used to see things at her age. Man, I am excited to actually be an adult!

Book – Josslyn is widow after a tragic accident. She finally decides to move on with her personal love life 3 years later. She has a wonderful set of best girlfriends who help her grieve, but no one has been her rock more than Dash. Dash is her dead husband’s best friend. Her husband, Carson, was abused relentlessly as a child and had never been able to provide Josslyn with the one thing she craved most – dominance in the bedroom. Dash has always had a romantic interest in Joss, and Carson is well aware of this, but absolutely secure in his marriage. After many years of grief, its time for her to step up and explore that world she has always wanted/needed but knew Carson could never give her. With lots of decisions, and expectations laid out for herself she obtains a membership at The House. The House is a safe and secure place to explore all your inner sexual fantasies without any judgment. On her first night there, she is discovered by Dash himself just feet inside the door. He is furious that she is that and she has no idea what she has gotten herself into. He drags her out of the building in an instant, takes her home and they have the awkward talk about why she was there and what she is looking for. At this point it is Dash her knows he is able to fulfill her every need with his long time Dominant/Submissive lifestyle. It is Dash who introduces her to the intriguing world of BDSM.

I found this book to be truly an eye opener into the world of BDSM. I have never read Maya Banks before, but am eager to see what other series she has. This is book 1 in a series called The Surrender Trilogy. This book does have some light BDSM , but it is a character driven story. The character development is incredible. I cried, laughed, blushed, and ohh la la ‘ed with this story. Definitely a book for adults looking for a little steam, I highly recommend this entire series. There are surprises all along the way.

Book- This story is the second in the Montana Rescue series by Susan May Warren. It focuses around Sam and Pete Brooks, brothers who had a family tragedy that altered their relationship. Willow has been brought to better light in this book as an outgoing happy positive person who doesn’t seem to fit in the way other women do. She has long held a huge crush for Sam but since he is dating Sierra (her sister), she works so hard at keeping it a secret and wishing she would just get over him and be happy for her sister. Willow and Sam take the local youth group on a day hike and have an accident. They are lost in the icy wilderness, no one knows where they are, and if they will ever be rescued. With grizzly attacks and snow storms this team must fight nature tooth and nail to save the ones they love.

Susan May Warren is a wonderful writer who draws you into this book within the first 2 pages. I was gasping and crying and cheering all the way through. She does such a great job developing characters and setting the scene I completely thought I right there in the story. Honestly, I had never experienced that before as a reader. She builds suspense throughout the book, with the obvious romance mingled in too. I believe this book would be categorized under Christian fiction, so it was a little too “churchy” for me at some points, but overall it was an amazing book to read and I absolutely recommend EVERYONE read this series!

Book- This is the first novel in the Fools Gold series by Susan Mallery. It is a brilliant book based on the small charming town of Fools Gold, California. Charity has made the move to the town in hopes of finding stability in her life. She ends up being hired by Martha, the town mayor, as the City Planner. There is a definite shortage of men in this town, and it is her job to bring them in and keep them here. While learning her townspeople and job, she discovers that someone is clearly embezzling money from the town. Martha pairs Charity up with Josh Golden – all American hero hunk professional cyclist – to sort out this money and men issue. Charity is absolutely against anything less than a professional relationship with Josh, since he is the “bad boy” of the town. Slowly but surely she learns that Josh isn’t the bad boy he is perceived to be. He has some flaws and a shocking secret that comes to the surface when he helps Charity with one of her “Attract the men” events.

Susan Mallery has done a wonderful job setting up the town and several great characters for us. There is Pia the party planner who knows everything about everything, Josephine who owns the bar in town with a mystery past, Katie who was dumped by her ex boyfriend to go out with her sister, and Crystal who is a widow with cancer. I have read all 19 stories in this series (most of which we have here at the library) and I can tell you each book goes into another character or two more in depth. I cant say enough about this series. Romance always progresses through the story and is never an instant issue in any of this series.

Movie – Having been kicked out of a couple previous middle schools Rafe (Griffin Gluck) is sent to a super conservative strict school with many rules. This school is void of any creativity and personalization. Its more about the test scores than the student taking the test. Rafes only outlet is a journal he doodles in day in and out. With his active imagination anything is possible. At this new school, along with his best friend Leo, he vows to anonymously (as to not get expelled again) break each and every rule the principal has set. At home his life is not much better. Mom is dating a total freeloading jerk who hates kids. Rafe and his little sister do the best they can to stick together and get through life. Overall its been a rough few years for Rafe.

To be honest, I was up in the air on if I even wanted to see this one. I wasn’t sure I would be able to empathize with any of the characters of this age group. This movie is rated PG, but I feel the overall story line is superb. The pranks that are pulled in this movie are hysterical, and the dramatic parts are well highly dramatic. This movie had me in tears at the end. This movie is based off of The Worst Years of My Life by James Paterson and Chris Tebbetts. Although I have yet to read the book, I suspect it will dive into the educational system structure and flaws in a comical manner.

Movie – A new game has hit the internet. Its a game like truth or dare, but without the truth option. If you want to participate in this came you become one of two positions. A Player or a Watcher. A player is given dares. If the dare is completed with self photographic/video graphic proof then they win money and move on to another dare more intense than the last. If you are a watcher- you watch others doing dares, and can suggest to the creator what the next dare should be for specific Players. The more watchers a player has the higher up in the ranks you move, therefor the more money you can make.

Venus (Emma Roberts) is a safe boring high school girl who has a “popular” best friend that is at the top of the leaderboard. After its made abundantly clear Venus is super lame, she decides to become a Player in the game of Nerve herself. She finds herself paired up with Ian (James Franco) per the watchers request. The dares get more and more extreme as she tries to prove to everyone that she really does have what it takes to be cool.

I found this teen thriller mildly predictable in the overall story line. It was certainly entertaining, fun, and intense. The dares that are in this movie are all natural things that would/could really be dared by someone. I was nervous that it would be blown way out of proportion, but I am happy to report that is not the case. I am sure everyone can relate to at least one person in this high school drama movie. I found the ending brilliant and suspenseful. The colors and graphics are outstanding. It really shows how this game is played in real life.

DVD- Danielle was raised from a very young age as a servant to her new stepmother after her loving French nobleman father dies unexpectedly. She has also inherited 2 step sisters. Jacqueline is a shy soft spoken sister with a true heart. Marguerite on the other hand is a loud, obnoxious, spoiled rat of a human being. Danielle learns to find happiness her life and takes care of her own. Unfortunately her evil stepmother sells her friend (another servant) to pay debts. Danielle decides the only way to get him back is to dress above her station and demand her “servant” be released and pay the debt owed with money she received from an impromptu run in with the future King of France, Prince Henry. The penalty for this crime of pretending she is more than she really is will be death. She must pull herself together and not let anyone know she is terrified and totally faking it. She catches the eye of Prince Henry, and soon they start dating. However he knows her as royalty, not the lowly commoner she truly is. Will he understand? Will he accept her?

This is by far my most favorite movie of all time. Yes it is a Cinderella story, but its not animated. I enjoy the story as a whole, but really appreciate the costumes and sets of this movie. I gives me a peak into the history of what life was like back in those days. I feel there is no one better suited to play Danielle than the one and only Drew Barrymore in this amazing fairy tail Ever After- A Cinderella Story.

Movie- A story of love at Christmas time. Love Actually intertwines 9 mini stories of new love, lost love, forbidden love, and young love. A few of the integrating stories are of the newly elected British Prime Minister falling for his junior staffer, a man who is in love with his best friends new wife, a young boy that has found his first epic love, a man who is dealing with the death of his wife, a married man and his new young attractive secretary, and a woman who is heavily involved with her mentally ill little brother has a complicated love life.

Although it is a movie you need to watch all the way thru from the beginning the first time to keep the stories straight, it truly is one of my favorite Christmas movies ever. Its not a traditional holiday movie in the sense that it is not religious, and not about Santa Clause either. Its about the feeling of Christmas, and the setting is the holiday season. I will say Love Actually is a little chick flick like, but I did find it interesting to see the aspects of British culture through out the sets and language.

Movie – Based on the mystery novel by Lawrence Block, Matt Scudder (Liam Neeson) is an ex-cop turned unlicensed private investigator. He finds himself reluctantly finds his way working for a heroin dealer who’s wife was brutally murdered by way of an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Along the way he meets a young street kid named TJ, who takes a liking to Scudder’s profession. TJ inserts himself into Scudder’s job by proving he is needed for his computer and technology skills, something Scudder is just to old to understand and use. Scudder realizes that the people he is after have committed this horrible crime before, and will continue until they are stopped. Working together Scudder and TJ follow a plan to finally put an end to this once and for all.

This movie is a winner with Liam Neeson fans. Although its a little slow to start it has his typical butt kicking, big man confidence you know and love about him. There are a few plot twists that I never considered being an option for the movie, yet somehow they work well. I found the ending to be very thought provoking and left me wondering if there will be a sequel in the future.

If you are looking for an action mystery with a mild tug on your heartstrings kind of movie, this is the one!